Sunday, March 1, 2015

VATICAN MUSEUMS - GROOMS' ROOM

Also known as Sala deiChiaroscuri
(chiaroscuri room) for the type of paintings, Sala dei Cubicularii (room
of the guards) for the supervisors of the cubiculum (bedroom) of the
Pope or, indeed, Sala dei Palafrenieri Grooms Room for those who used to
transport the pope's chair

It was also known as Sala del Pappagallo (parrot's
room) for here was the parrot in a cage, according to the custom documented
since the eleventh century to keep a parrot in a room of the papal apartments
wherever they were, even in Avignon

Massive and spectacular ceiling carved and gilded with Medici
family symbols, maybe designed by Raphael

It had been decorated by Raphael in 1517 but it was
repainted in the years 1560/82 by order of Pius IV Medici (1559/65) first and
Gregory XIII Boncompagni (1572/85) after, by the brothers Federico Zuccari (about 1542/1609) and Taddeo Zuccari (1529/66) with “Apostles
and Sts. Stephen and Lawrence” in fake niches and “Allegories
of Virtues” in fake broken pediments

Other painters worked here including Giuseppe Cesari aka Cavalier d'Arpino (1568/1640), who debuted here with
his first work (“Allegory of Fatigue” with Samson holding the door in Gaza),
and the brothers Giovanni Alberti (1558/1601)
and Cherubino Alberti (1553/1615

The five pillars that separate the room into two parts were
inserted under Pius VII Chiaramonti (1800/23)